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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. race — the arms race
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. cue — for pool
  5. race — humankind
  6. cue — a hint
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. race — a contest
  9. shower — to wash
  10. prune — to trim
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. vault — a safe
  13. cue — a signal
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. prune — to trim
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. pit — a hole
  21. perch — the fish
  22. shower — rain
  23. pit — in a race
  24. wax — for sculpting

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com